Tri-Town CEO urged to not run for Abington selectman

Weymouth town councilors Patrick O’Connor and Kenneth DiFazio say holding both positions would present a conflict of interest for Kevin Donovan. Donovan is top executive of the organization overseeing redevelopment of the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station, which Abington has an interest in.

Two Weymouth town councilors are unhappy that the top executive of the organization overseeing redevelopment of the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station has decided for run for selectman in Abington.

Patrick O’Connor, vice president of the Weymouth Town Council, sent a letter to South Shore Tri-Town CEO Kevin Donovan on Friday asking him to reconsider his plan to seek one of the two available selectman seats in his hometown. O’Connor said holding both positions at the same time would present a conflict of interest because the Abington selectmen have an interest in the progress at the base.

Donovan, who served as an Abington selectman for nine years before taking a job with Tri-Town, has said he would prevent any conflict of interest by recusing himself if the Abington board was about to vote on something related to the SouthField project. But O’Connor said that would not be enough.

“All I’m saying is there’s clearly a conflict here,” O’Connor said in a telephone interview Friday. “So many things are going on that I think are positive with the project, and we don’t need at this point in time for there to be any potential for conflict with our chief executive.”

The former air base lies in Weymouth, Rockland and Abington. The three towns could end up competing for contracts with Tri-Town to provide police, fire and other services – meaning potentially heavy involvement of local councilors and selectmen.

The Abington selectmen also appoint one of the five members of Tri-Town’s board of directors. The board of directors appoints the CEO.

Weymouth Town Council member Kenneth DiFazio said that even if Donovan recused himself, his being on the board could put pressure on the other selectmen to vote one way or the other, “human nature being what it is.”

Donovan said said the criticism hasn’t made him change his mind about running for selectman.

“I appreciate Councilor O’Connor’s interest in trying to interject himself into an Abington town election,” he said. “I’ll leave the decision as to whether I serve on the board to the people of Abington, where it rightfully belongs.”

According to Donovan, the state Ethics Commission has said it would be acceptable for him to be an Abington selectman while serving as Tri-Town CEO as long as he recused himself from selectmen’s votes on SouthField.